Cleaning apparatus for cottonseed



Dec. 9, 1930. E. M. BRENNAN CLEANING APPARATUS FOR COTTON SEED Filed Sept. 29. 192' 3 Sheets-Sheet Dec. 9, 1930 E. M. BRENNAN CLEANING APPARATUS FOR COTTON SEED Filed Sept. 29, 1927 3 Sheets-$heet 2 Dec. 9, 1930- E. M. BRENNAN 1,784,219

CLEANING APPARATUS FOR COTTON SEED Filed Sept. 29, 1927 5 Sheets-Sheet 3' 1A1|.ii-iiifiiwimi avwc-nioz MA fi tpovaa 1? V W Patented Dec. 9, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT orrlcr.

EDWARD M. BRENNAN, OF SPRINGFIELD, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE BAUER BROTHERS COMPANY, OF SPRINGFIELD, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO CLEANING APPARATUS FOR COTTONSEED Application filed September 29, 1927. Serial No. 222,901.

This invention relates to an apparatus for cleaning cotton seed or similar materials, it more particularly relating to an apparatus for separating fine particles of sand and the like from the seed.

The object of my invention is to provide an apparatus of the character described which will be simple in construction and eifective in operation.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a rear elevation of an apparatus embodying my improvements.

Fig. 2 is a view shown partly in side elevation.

Fig. 3 is a top plan view.

Fig.4 is a section on the line a-a of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a detail of a portion of the screens and their supporting means.

The invention consists generally of a plurality of hoppers arranged in vertical alignment, each surrounded by a screen and provided with a revoluble bottom which cooperates with the lower part of the hopper to form a converging annular throat, the revoluble bottom acting by centrifugal force to discharge the seed and foreign material such as sand against the inner surface of the corresponding screen, the sand passing through the meshes of the screen while the seed is discharged into the succeeding working hopper; each hopper being provided with an agitating device which serves to agitate and feed the seed.

- Referring to the drawings, an outer casing is provided which is constructed with vertical angle iron corner posts 1 connected at the bottom by angle iron base members 2 and at the top by angle iron members 3, the upper portion of the sides being enclosed by removable sash frames covered with sheet metal, as indicated at 4, and the lower portion covered with stationary sheet metal panel 5. A vertical shaft 6 hangs on thrust bearings 7 mounted in a box 8 supported by bridge members 9 located on the upper frame members; additional bearings 10 located in the box 8, and bearings 11 located in a box 12, supported by bridge member 13, located on the lower frame members serving to take the lateral load. The shaft is driven from the shaft 14 deriving power from any suitable source through the medium of the pulley 15, belt 16, idler pulleys 17 and pulley 18.

In the present machine four separating mechanisms are employed arranged in vertical alignment as indicated generally at A, B, C and D. Each mechanism has a hopper formed of a part 19 shaped like an inverted frustum of a cone, an inwardly curved and outwardly flaring portion 20 connected with the lower end of the part 19, and a rotatable disk-like bottom 21 connected with the shaft 6. The portion 20 and bottom 21 are so formed and disposed as to provide an annular laterally extending passage which is connected with the main portion of the hopper through a converging throat 22, and the upper surface of the revoluble bottom is provided with a series of ribs 21. Surrounding each hopper is a cylindrical screen member,

the upper screen member being hung from a ring 24 fastened to the main frame, while succeeding screen members are hung from rings 26 fastened to the lower portions of the preceding screens. Each of these screens is formed of truncated cone shape so that the area within the screen gradually enlarges downwardly to insure the feed of the material without clogging.

Located in each hopper is a feeding and agitating device. Each device consists of a. pair of ribbon-like members 27, each shaped like a fragmentary conical spiral, secured to arms 28 which are fastened to the shaft 6. Each of the ribbons is so formed and positioned that each portion of the outer edge thereof is the same distance from the inner wall of the conical-shaped hopper member 19, and the direction of the rotation, as shown by the arrowin Fig. 3, is such that the high portion of the ribbon first contacts the material and the material is gradually fed to the bottom of the hopper by succeeding portions of the ribbon. To break up adhering masses of seed, there is provided a series of ribs 29 extending from top to bot tom of the part 19 of the hopper, these ribs being preferably formed by inturning the adjacent edges of the sheet metal sections from which the hopper is formed and riveting or otherwise securing them together.

Secured to the hub of each movable hopper bottom is a pair of radially extending arms -each having at its outer end a brush 31 which is arranged in an angular position as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2. These brushes contact the screens 23 and are for the' purpose of preventing clogging of the meshes of the screen opposite the discharge passages.

Beneath the lowermost separating mechanism is a horizontal sheet metal floor 32 which is supported by the main frame. This floor has at each corner thereof on the outside of the screen 23 an opening 33 and on the inside of the screen the floor is provided with an opening 34 which communicates with one end of a horizontal screw conveyer 35. The lowermost hopper bottom '21 has secured thereto a pair of scrapers 36 which sweep over the floor 32 on theinside of the screen 23 and carry the seed which drops onto this floor to the opening 34 through which it falls onto the conveyer.

Beneath the floor 32 is a second sheet metal floor 37 which occupies the entire space be tween the frame members and is supported thereby. This second floor has an opening 38 which communicates with a second horizontal screw conveyer 39. Fastened to a collar 40 secured to the shaft 6 are a plural ity of scrapers 41 which act to carry the material which falls up onto this second floor to the opening 38 through which it falls upon the conveyor 39.

One wall of the main outer casing is formed with a large opening about which is secured the flaring mouth 43 of a suction conduit which leads to a dust separator of the well known cyclone type (not shown).

The operation is as follows: The seed to be cleaned is fed into the upper hopper and agitated and fed onto the revolving bottom of that hopper from which it is thrown by centrifugal force against the screen surrounding that hopper. The foreign material such as sand and dirt pass through the screen surrounding that hopper while the seed falls onto the hopper of the next suc-. ceeding separating mechanism where the operation is repeated and so on through the en tire series of separating mechanisms. The cleaned seed finally falls onto the floor 32 and is carried by the scrapers 36 to the discharge opening of that floor and deposited onto the'conveyer 35 where it is conveyed to any suitable source of discharge. The more buoyant particles which pass through the screens are carried through the suction conduit and separated from the air by the cyclone separator. The less buoyant particles such as sand rains fall through the opening 33 onto the floor 37 and are carried by the scraper 41 to the discharge opening 38 and fall onto the conveyer 39 and conveyed thereby to a suitable point of discharge.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In a separating apparatus of the character described, a stationary hopper, a horizontally-arranged revoluble disk beneath said hopper, the lower portion of said hopper being so sha ed as to form with said disk an annular discharge passage with unbroken walls, the area of the inner portion of which is considerably larger than the area of the outer portion with the area between said inner and outer portions gradually decreasing, and a screen surrounding the discharge end of said passage.

2. In aseparating apparatus of the character described, a stationary hop er shaped like an inverted frustum of a cone at having its lower end outwardly flared in a horizontal direction, a revoluble horizontally-arranged disk-like member beneath said hopper and forming with the flared end thereof an annular discharge passage having unbroken walls, the lower end of said hopper being so formed that the area of the inner portion of said discharge passage is greater than that of the outer portion, with the area between said inner and outer portions gradually decreasing, and a screen surrounding said discharge passage.

3. In a separating apparatus of the character described, a stationar hopper shaped like the inverted frustum 02 a cone and having its lower end outwardly flared with the extreme outer portion thereof projecting in a horizontal direction, a horizontally disposed revoluble disk-like member beneath said hopper having a hub of conical form, said disk and its hub forming with the lower portion of said hopper an annular discharge passage having unbroken walls whose area at its inlet end is considerably larger than the area of its discharge end with the area between ends gradually decreasing toward the discharge end, and a screen surrounding the discharge end of said passage.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 23rd day of September, 1927.

EDWARD M. BRENNAN. 

